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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26094253">Welcome To The Machine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madcap_Minstrel/pseuds/Madcap_Minstrel'>Madcap_Minstrel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ripples [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Drama &amp; Romance, F/M, Gen, Humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:42:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,425</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26094253</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madcap_Minstrel/pseuds/Madcap_Minstrel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jenova's defeat was a bittersweet victory; Aeris is presumed dead, and Sephiroth is trapped on the other side of the galaxy.  Vincent Valentine has mysteriously disappeared, and Nibelheim is in shambles.  After Jenova and Meteor, Rufus Shinra has now sworn to dismantle all of the Mako reactors, and Avalanche has no more reason to exist.  However, this new era of Shinra Inc. comes with its own new set of problems, as everyone involved will soon learn...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jessie/Rufus Shinra, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife, Zack Fair &amp; Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ripples [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1886338</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Meeting of the Minds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The conference room on the executive floor of Shinra Headquarters was abuzz from what the two Turks stationed outside could hear. For the past fifteen minutes since the meeting inside had started, the voices behind the door had gotten progressively louder and more agitated, though neither Turk could make out what was being said.</p><p>"You think this is about the Junon reactor?" Reno asked as he leaned against the wall.</p><p>Rude, his partner in the organization, merely shrugged.</p><p>"I heard it's been a bitch finding backup power there," Reno went on, "The old power plant's practically falling down." He sighed wistfully. "I remember when I was twelve. I'd tag along with my older cousin when he'd tag the place. It's where I smoked my first blunt. I miss that. Damn urine tests..."</p><p>"You're bad enough when you're drunk," Rude said pointedly.</p><p>Reno playfully flipped him off.</p><p>Just then, the elevator doors at the beginning of the hallway ahead of them opened, and the two men tensed up, hands going to their respective weapons.</p><p>Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart stepped off the elevator, walking down the hall together. The two Turks relaxed.</p><p>"What are you kids doing here?" Reno asked, cracking a smile.</p><p>"Going to the meeting," Tifa answered, "The president's been trying to fit us in, and we were finally free tonight."</p><p>"The hell does he want with a couple kids?" Reno laughed.</p><p>"You mean the couple of kids who helped him kill Ruby WEAPON?" Cloud quipped, "Give us a little credit, Reno."</p><p>"Just let us in," Tifa said as she playfully raised her fists at the redhead.</p><p>"Oh, we're gonna fight?" Reno laughed as he whipped out his nightstick, "Bring it on, kiddos! Oh, where's your big fancy machine gun now, trooper-boy?"</p><p>"Trading it in for a Shinra-issue sword once I start the SOLDIER training program," Cloud answered, smirking.</p><p>"Oh, shit! It's finally happening!" Reno laughed, "Hey, man, congrats." He held out his hand for Cloud to shake. However, as soon as the former army trooper grabbed it, he began pulling at him, trying to submit him in hand-to-hand, which all Turks and members of the army knew the fundamentals of.</p><p>"Oh, grow up, Reno!" Tifa complained as the two young men began to scuffle.</p><p>"Let him get it out of his system," Rude sighed.</p><p>"But Reno knows that he's already had the Mako enhancements, right?" Tifa asked.</p><p>Cloud managed to flip Reno…right into the doors with a loud thud.</p><p>"He does now, I suppose," Rude quipped.</p><p>"Shit…" Reno groaned as he slowly got to his feet and looked at Cloud, whose eyes now glowed; a telltale sign of a member of SOLDIER. "I figured they'd stop doing the special showers since we can't touch the Mako anymore."</p><p>"Only when it comes to powering cities," Cloud explained, "And it's not like that anymore. They took me and the other recruits to Mideel where that big Lifestream pool is. Had us sit in there like a hot spring. Takes longer than the showers, but safer for the-"</p><p>The door suddenly opened and an irate-looking Rufus Shinra appeared. "What the hell is going on?" he snapped, "I thought someone was using a battering ram what with that loud crash against the door!"</p><p>"Sorry, sir," Reno apologized half-heartedly, "Strife and I were just messing around."</p><p>"Well, stop it and let him and Miss Lockheart in," Rufus said, annoyed.</p><p>"You heard the president," Reno said as he gestured toward the conference room.</p><p>Rufus stepped aside, ushering both Cloud and Tifa inside.</p><hr/><p>"Cloud, you've met Director Lazard already," Rufus said as he led the two teens to a long rectangular table where the polite bespectacled man in charge of SOLDIER sat at the head.</p><p>"Good to see you again, Cloud," Lazard said pleasantly, "Have a seat anywhere that's not already taken." He then turned to Tifa. "Hello, you must be Tifa. Good to meet you." He held out his hand which Tifa shook.</p><p>"Hey, you two," Jessie greeted them. Biggs and Wedge were seated next to her. The two former members of the now-disbanded Avalanche waved.</p><p>"You already know these guys," Rufus stated, "But have you met our other guest? Reeve Tuesti, meet Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart."</p><p>A dark-haired man in a blue suit and green tie stood up and went over to greet the two newcomers. "Hello there," he said, smiling as he shook each of their hands, "I'm the new director of city planning. It's nice to finally meet you both. The world owes you two a debt of gratitude."</p><p>"Wait a second…" Cloud recalled, "Aren't you the guy who built the mako reactors in the first place?"</p><p>"Guilty as charged…" Reeve sighed, smiling sheepishly, "That's quite all right, though. President Rufus took me to meet Bugenhagen personally. He showed me Professor Gast's machine, gave me the same speech as he did our president…" He hung his head. "I understand. I'm just grateful what the machine showed never came to pass…nor will it."</p><p>"Wow, that's pretty open-minded of you," Tifa remarked, "Most adults I know would just double-down and never admit they're wrong."</p><p>"And those are all the adults I fired," Rufus interjected, "And just so you know, he's also the one who built that irritating robot-thing we met at the Gold Saucer last summer."</p><p>Jessie looked away uncomfortably. True, Cait Sith was just a robot, but he was a robot that had seen her topless and had called her out in front of everybody.</p><p>"Oh, and did you program him into being less of a blabbermouth?" Tifa teased Reeve.</p><p>The older man chuckled embarrassed. "Personality is such a nuanced thing…it's very hard. The best I could do was give him orders to never <em>ever</em> give wake-up calls to anyone, anywhere, for whatever reason."</p><p>"Thank the gods…" Jessie muttered under her breath.</p><p>"So!" Rufus clapped his hands together. "Shall we begin?"</p><hr/><p>"I got it!" Reno exclaimed as he snapped his fingers.</p><p>"Hmm?" Rude turned his head to look at the younger man.</p><p>"Maybe it's a project to rebuild Nibelheim!" Reno reasoned, "What better than to use two of its citizens? Reeve's the director of city planning now, so they probably called him in to help! Huh? Ain't I brilliant?"</p><p>"What would they need Director Lazard for?" Rude pointed out, "Not to mention Jessie, who's a grunt in the weapons department, and those other two Avalanche guys?"</p><p>"Maybe they have multiple agendas tonight?" Reno suggested.</p><p>"Each agenda would have a different meeting," Rude countered, "It allows for less change for sensitive information to be leaked."</p><p>"Well, that's how the old president did shit," Reno argued.</p><p>"And anyone with half a brain…" Rude muttered.</p><p>"Oh, you gonna get smart with me now?"</p><p>"If you try to pick a fight with me, you'll probably lose that raise you earned when you helped save the world from WEAPON and that alien." Rude warned him.</p><p>Reno sighed. "Well, shit!" he groused, "What the hell <em>are</em> that freaking motley crew talking about in there…?"</p><hr/><p>"This makes no sense!" Tifa complained, "This guy says I'm a wand-user? I'm waving a magic wand like some fairy princess? Is this because I'm a girl?"</p><p>"No, the dice says you're a wand-user," Lazard answered as he opened a large book, "All the numbers you wrote down from rolling the dice dictate your stats, and I assign you the character that best fits said stats. And I'm not just 'some guy'. Tonight, I'll be your DM."</p><p>Cloud blinked. "DM?"</p><p>"Dungeon master," Reeve explained.</p><p>"And hey- I'm using a halberd!" Jessie pointed out to Tifa.</p><p>"Yeah, but you said you're a seven-foot tall male ogre!" Tifa argued, "My character's still female!"</p><p>"Hey, Biggs and Wedge haven't rolled yet," Jessie told her, "Wedge could wind up being a Valkyrie. Those are badass. Maybe next time you can be a Valkyrie."</p><p>"If a male ogre hits a Valkyrie does that count as a hate crime?" Cloud quipped.</p><p>Jessie stood up, irritated. "NO!" she shouted, "Do NOT bring the dreaded 'real world' into this! See these potato chips?" She held up an already opened party-sized bag of Chieftain Chips. "Until this bag and is empty and the kingdom is saved, we don't bring up the real world. Not real-life crime statistics, not Mako reactors, not our new jobs, not how all of Sector 7 hates me, not how Vincent suddenly disappeared, and Mrs. G clearly knows where he is but won't tell us! We talk about ogres, imps, elves, magical swords and wells that are more than just ordinary wells! Do I make myself clear?"</p><p>Cloud blinked. "Yes, ma'am…"</p><p>Tifa glanced at Rufus. "I'm surprised you're not the DM since you already run things here."</p><p>Rufus shrugged. "Well, Lazard is the one who knows about this thing. Jessie and I are the ones who are still relatively new at this. Besides, we don't need any accusations of me favoring a certain halberd-wielding ogre just because she's what the press likes to call my 'mistress'."</p><p>Jessie reached across the table and pointed at Rufus. "No mentioning the press either!"</p><p>Rufus smirked. "Whatever you say, ogre-lady."</p><p>Jessie threw a chip at him.</p><p>"I'm next!" Biggs picked up the dice and rolled, writing down all of the results, as Lazard had instructed.</p><hr/><p>"Hey, partner?"</p><p>Rude glanced over at Reno. "Hmm?"</p><p>"You think it's good the chief's getting some action now? I mean, he's been with the computer nerd for like, six months or whatever. I'll admit…if the old president had died <em>before</em> that whole mess with Jenova and Meteor, I'd have been a bit nervous having him as the new president. But he's a lot more chill these days."</p><p>"He did manage to win some favor from the people after he helped the people of Corel with that giant monster," Rude acknowledged, "Also, Corel was thrilled that he fired Scarlet when she started to badger them about building a reactor there."</p><p>"He won over Gongaga too," Reno added.</p><p>The small foothill region in the southwest part of the Western Continent had been the first to have its reactor torn down, particularly when Reeve had visited and discovered there had been a large flaw in its construction. Had the reactor not been torn down when it had, it surely would have exploded, no doubt causing numerous casualties.</p><p>"It's still gonna be a bitch when we finally make the switch back to electrical power over here, though," Reno went on, "I mean, especially on the Plate. All the rich snobs were happy with the way things used to be."</p><p>"It's with <em>them</em> that his approval rating is the lowest," Rude agreed, "It could be troublesome."</p><p>"Troublesome?" Reno scoffed, "What are they gonna do? Riot with their parasols and tennis rackets?"</p><p>"More like possible bank runs and pulling out of all sorts of investments with the company," Rude answered thoughtfully.</p><p>"Ah, so that's what Tseng meant…" Reno mused, "…when he said 'not all riots involve swords and guns. Some just involve checkbooks."</p><p>"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Rude said as he adjusted his sunglasses, "It's not the kind of thing our weapons could fight…"</p><hr/><p>"Oh, my!" Lazard chuckled, "Looks like it's <em>Cloud</em> who will be the Valkyrie tonight!"</p><p>Cloud's eyes shot open. "Say <em>what?</em>"</p><p>Jessie burst out laughing, "Yes! This is perfect! You and Tifa can team up and do some kind of girly attack duo!"</p><p>"You'll be BFFs!" Biggs joked.</p><p>"Girl power!" Wedge shouted in a high-pitched girly voice.</p><p>"Please just give me the rest of my stats or whatever so we can start the game…" Cloud sighed.</p><p>"And you wanted to give the newbies a standard array…" Jessie said, smirking at Lazard.</p><p>"What's that?" Tifa asked.</p><p>"Sort of like an average set of stats," Rufus explained, "It would've made creating your characters much simpler. But my girlfriend appears to be a sadist and insisted you both roll the dice."</p><p>"He says <em>I'm</em> the sadist but wait till the campaign <em>actually</em> starts…" Jessie quipped.</p><hr/><p>Two hours later the door opened, and Cloud and Tifa were the first to trudge out.</p><p>"What the hell happened to you guys?" Reno asked.</p><p>"The director is an absolute monster…" Cloud muttered.</p><p>"Well, you'll just have to get used to him being the guy in charge…" Tifa sighed as she rubbed Cloud's back reassuringly.</p><p>"My brain is completely fried…" Cloud said as he shook his head.</p><p>"Man…" Reno remarked as he watched them get on the elevator, "I'd always heard Lazard was a fair man. Guess you can't trust what people say."</p><p>Reeve then walked out.</p><p>"Everything good?" Reno asked.</p><p>Reeve shook his head sadly. "I wasn't able to stop a horrible landslide from killing the townspeople. Hopefully I can avenge them next week. Have a good one."</p><p>Reno and Rude stared at the back of his head as he also walked to the elevator and got on.</p><p>"What landslide?" Reno asked bewilderedly, "Are the plates unstable now?"</p><p>"That's worrisome, to say the least," Rude remarked.</p><p>Biggs and Wedge walked out next.</p><p>"What's this about a landslide?" Reno wanted to know.</p><p>"We both nearly got crushed," Biggs said.</p><p>"So did Jessie," Wedge added, "We spent an hour dealing with the aftermath."</p><p>"I'm <em>beat!</em>" Biggs yawned as he stretched his hands above his head.</p><p>"Yeah, let's get outta here," Wedge agreed. He waved at the two Turks. "See ya."</p><p>Reno stared at Rude. "I really thought things were starting to calm down after the initial panic..."</p><p>Once Rufus had announced he was restoring the old power plants and tearing down the reactors there had been a huge uproar in Midgar, particularly the Plate and the other wealthier communities. Pundits everywhere had stated that he had been radicalized by Avalanche and their "backwards, nature-obsessed ideals". Before his father's untimely death at the hands of Emerald WEAPON, the late president had given a somber press conference announcing that his son had been abducted by the eco-terrorist group, complete with him playing the part of a concerned father, even wiping away imaginary tears.</p><p>This had been the one issue with Rufus taking over the company after his father's passing; many people were sounding off on social media, claiming that the young president was "brainwashed". Rufus had dismissed the gossip and forged on with his plans to do right by the Planet, however.</p><p>"Well, I guess we know why the Avalanche guys were there, not to mention the chief's lady," Reno finished.</p><p>"But why Tifa?" Rude wondered.</p><p>"Hey, you think maybe she considered Tseng's offer?" Reno suggested.</p><p>Rude furrowed his brow. Tifa had been offered the chance to join the Turks, but she had turned Tseng down…for the time being. "Then why wouldn't she contact Tseng directly? I'm sure he left her his card. The chief wouldn't bother with matters like that."</p><p>"Well then I'm stumped!" Reno sighed as he leaned against the wall.</p><p>Lazard was the next to walk out.</p><p>"Breaking in the newbie already, director?" Reno joked, seeing how haggard Cloud had looked after supposedly dealing with him.</p><p>"You know it," the director answered cheerfully as he also walked to the elevator. "Have a good evening, gentlemen…"</p><p>"Thank you, Reno, Rude," Rufus said as he and Jessie appeared in the doorway as well. "We'll take the private exit back to my suite. Tseng will let you know once we've arrived safely."</p><p>"Wonderful!" Reno yawned, "Sure was a late meeting, though."</p><p>Jessie glanced at her watch. "It's only ten."</p><p>"Get use to it," Rufus said with a smirk, "We'll be doing these meetings every Sunday from now on. Don't worry, though. I'll rotate you two with other guards so you're not stuck here every time. Goodnight, gentlemen."</p><p>"Later," Jessie said with a wave. They stepped back inside and closed the door.</p><p>"I can't say I understand what he sees in that chick," Reno chuckled quietly.</p><p>Rude shrugged. "None of our business."</p><p>Reno glanced at the ground. "Oh, they dropped something…". He knelt down and picked up a piece of paper. "Character sheet," he read aloud, "Name: Gaspar…race: ogre…class: berserker…" Reno frowned. "What the hell is this shit?"</p><p>"Hmm…let me see…" Rude took the piece of paper and looked at it. "Advanced Wizards and Warriors: Fifth Edition."</p><p>Reno's mouth dropped open. "Are you <em>shitting</em> me?!" he exclaimed, "We were standing guard over a goddamned <em>gaming session?!</em> And not even video games, but that bullshit with the dice and the books and…my god, Rude. I don't care if I get executed for saying this, but our president is a freaking <em>nerd!</em>"</p><p>Rude shrugged. "A nerd who's trying to turn this planet around…"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2: Guidance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The SOLDIER boot camp was located right between the port city of Junon and what used to be Fort Condor. The rogue army that had years ago seized control of the Mako reactor there had built said fort around it, preventing said reactor from ever being activated in the first place. Six months ago, Rufus had sent emissaries to the rural area, hoping to convince the inhabitants to temporarily clear the area so that workers could enter the reactor and dismantle it. As a token of goodwill, he offered to leave the empty building to the villagers, to be used however they saw fit. Now the compound was merely part of Condor Village. Many outsiders jokingly called the former reactor "Condor Mall" since it was now home to several retailers.</p><p>Cloud could see the giant condor statue in the distance, watching over its egg while perched on top of the fort. It was his first full day at boot camp since arriving at the compound the previous afternoon. Formation had ended and drills would be starting in about fifteen minutes. Cloud had been assigned to Squad D, which was to meet in a field next to a stream.</p><p>He had plenty of time to get there, so Cloud decided to mosey along the path and admire the scenery. He knew Tifa would have loved it; such a shame that this was a restricted area or else he might have thought about bringing her here one day.</p><p>A large bus had been waiting for him and several other recruits at one of the entrances to Midgar. Tifa had seen him off there, forcing a smile as they would be saying goodbye for the next three months. This wasn't new for Cloud; he had spent two months in training just for the infantry. However, he had only his mother nervously seeing him off that day. In addition to Tifa, Jessie had managed to get away to see him off, with Reno and Tseng escorting her and wishing him well. That was something he was still getting used to having: support from others.</p><p>As he hugged and kissed Tifa goodbye, Jessie had broken into one of her corny narrations, which he had since learned she would often do in tense or awkward situations. Zack had been stuck on guard duty near Junon as one of several new dams around the world was being built. He had, however, managed to send his friend a text wishing him luck before he had to turn his phone over upon boarding the bus.</p><p>He was surprised to discover during the long ride that motion-sickness no longer was an issue for him. Even reading the comic books he took out to ease his boredom hadn't caused any ill effects. Cloud wasn't sure if that was the "Lifestream spa" treatments, or the added Seraph cells he and his fellow recruits now carried. That was another thing that had piqued his curiosity. Prior recruits had all been injected with the cells of a lone Seraph woman code-named "Jenova". Current recruits had the cells of another Seraph woman; a former intergalactic peacekeeper named Medea. Did this make Cloud and his recruits <em>literally</em> brothers-in-arms?</p><p>The bus had arrived with no issues. There had been formation, followed by a long speech by an older 30-something First-Class about what to expect during the next 90 days. Cloud had listened attentively, and for the first time in months, finally started feeling excited and hopeful about his future. That excitement hadn't left him since, and he found himself wondering what to expect next…</p><p>"First full day here and the boy's already daydreaming…" a familiar voice chided.</p><p>Cloud turned around to see Zack walking behind him, grinning as always.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" Cloud asked, surprised.</p><p>Zack grinned. "After the Wutai war and then Jenova, this is sort of a vacation, dontcha think? Basically, after helping with dismantling the reactor in Gongaga and spending some much-needed time with my folks, I was given the option of taking a vacation. But when I heard you were coming here, I thought, hey…vacation can wait. Maybe instead of trying to be a hero, I can try training a few. Whaddaya say, Cloud? Feel up to the challenge of hero training?"</p><p>"I've got no complaints," Cloud quipped as they finally emerged from the woods, approaching the field.</p><p>"Good!" Zack clapped his hand against the younger man's back. "You may change your mind soon enough, though. Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're my buddy. Now fall in with the others!"</p><p>"Yes, sir!" Cloud shouted as he ran over to where formation was happening.</p><hr/><p>Rufus sat at his desk in his office, wearily looking over yet another document that the CFO had sent him, whining more about the budget.</p><p>Really, he thought. After being able to cut costs from the SOLDIER training program by having the recruits doing what some referred to as the "Mako Hot Tub" instead of Mako showers, he had done the math himself. He had calculated that the money saved should more than cover the cost of constructing both the dam between Midgar and Kalm, and the one near Junon(which it desperately needed).</p><p>Several of the Mako reactors, including Junon's, were still active. There was no way they could be shut down without plunging their surrounding areas into darkness AND cold(since it was February). Reidmar, the new "last remaining Cetra" following Aeris Gast's heroic sacrifice, had reassured Rufus that the reactors he <em>had</em> shut down were already helping the Planet to heal. Rufus hadn't gotten any more information aside from that, however, as the Planet was still very wary of a complete stranger now being the sole individual able to hear its voice.</p><p>"This is ground control to Rufus Shinra, Mr. Shinra are you with us today? Over..." Jessie kidded as she sat on the edge of Rufus' desk, holding an imaginary radio to her mouth, complete with imitating the static before and after she spoke.</p><p>"Huh?" Rufus snapped out of his reverie.</p><p>"You've only got twenty minutes left for lunch," Jessie reminded him as she pointed to his plate of pasta that had sat untouched for forty minutes.</p><p>"Oh, right…" Rufus sighed as he set down the piece of paper and picked up his fork.</p><p>"You've been staring at that budget sheet for about ten minutes," Jessie went on, "My lunch is already here…" She patted her stomach. "…Is old man Fritz still giving you bogus math regarding the power budget?"</p><p>"Is he ever…" Rufus sighed, shaking his head. He took a bite of his fettuccine.</p><p>Jessie rolled her eyes. "What's the problem this time?"</p><p>"More of his usual muddled math," Rufus answered after swallowing his food. "I've asked him to break down the budget more carefully so I can see what has him so frazzled. While he does have a point about our stock falling since half of the reactors were torn down, we're not getting the dam budget from those returns anyway. But he insists it's all connected…and then proceeds to use very vague language when he 'explains'."</p><p>"Barrett believes whole-heartedly that there's plenty of oil deposits to be found around both this continent and the Western Continent," Jessie said hopefully, "He's part of a team of surveyors in Corel that's been traveling all over. But there's talk about new imaging technologies that could make deposits easier to spot. Sounds kind of interesting, actually. Maybe I should put in a transfer for Research &amp; Development and do programming."</p><p>"Well, let's hope he's right," Rufus sighed wearily, "We can only build so many dams without upsetting the new 'poor-man's Avalanche'."</p><p>"Like oil wells will make them any happier?" Jessie scoffed.</p><p>Rufus rolled his eyes.</p><p>Aside from the general unrest among the people worried about the Mako reactors shutting down, Shinra now had to deal with protestors. Young people, mostly in their teens and twenties, had begun voicing their concerns about how traditional means of electrical power would more than likely displace countless animals and disrupt nature in general. Despite the proof that there was a correlation between Mako power and the increase of monsters throughout the world, there were many people who refused to see the statistics. Instead, many pundits siding against tearing down the reactors were blaming supposed planetary cycles that just happened to coincide with the increase in monsters over the past twenty years.</p><p>The first president, Rufus' grandfather, had done his job <em>too</em> well in convincing the masses that mako power was safe, necessary and the most environmentally friendly. Now the generation that had grown up <em>only</em> knowing mako power seemed unable to handle the thought of change.</p><p>How ironic that most of Avalanche had been part of that same generation, as was Rufus himself.</p><p>The new president certainly had his work cut out for him.</p><p>"I suppose Cid's rocket ship won't take us to the Cetran Galactic Capital where they can give us more efficient methods of energy we don't know about…" Jessie sighed.</p><p>"And on top of the energy crisis, that's another thing I have to worry about," Rufus groaned, "I know he wanted to have a rocket built by now, but I'm up to my ears in electricity."</p><p>Jessie nodded. Cid Highwind had been disappointed that Rufus had deprioritized the space program for now. But after firing Palmer and having his focus on finding backup power for all the world's regions, Rufus didn't have any other choice.</p><p>As a consolation prize of sorts, Rufus had donated money for Cid to have another airship built. If space travel wasn't an option right now, then at least air travel could be improved. It had satisfied the pilot for the time being. Cid was hoping to have a commercial airship service available in the coming years. Rufus hoped that air travel might satisfy the rich idiots on the plate, and maybe give them something new to invest in now that Mako energy was out.</p><p>Jessie picked up Rufus' fork and twirled some fettuccine onto it before taking a bite.</p><p>"Hey!" Rufus objected.</p><p>"Hey, if you're not gonna eat your lunch, then I will!" Jessie teased.</p><p>"Why so hungry all of a sudden?" Rufus teased back, "Don't tell me I knocked you up already…"</p><p>Jessie's eyes widened and she snatched the entire plate. "I won't forget that…" she said as she scooped up more food.</p><p>"What do you think you're doing?" Rufus exclaimed as he stood up and tried to grab his plate back.</p><p>"It's mine now, jackass," Jessie giggled, her mouth full of pasta.</p><p>Rufus smirked. "You're an evil woman, you know that?"</p><p>Jessie's eyes twinkled. "I know, you're such a bad influence on me…"</p><hr/><p>Cloud lay on his bunk in the barracks reading a comic book. Lights-out was in two hours, and now the recruits were enjoying a bit of free time.</p><p>"Hey, Strife!"</p><p>Cloud looked up to see another recruit grinning down at him.</p><p>"How'd you get such a hot chick to see you off at the bus station?" the kid asked.</p><p>"Probably his sister…" another recruit jeered.</p><p>"Dude, if that was his sister, then families from the west have a strange way of saying goodbye," the first recruit laughed. He then made a kissing expression, followed by his tongue waggling all over the place.</p><p>"I'm seriously gonna lose my appetite," yet another recruit lamented as he ate from a bag of trail mix.</p><p>"Well?" the recruit pressed, "How'd the two of you hook up?"</p><p>"We slayed a dragon together and went out on a date later that night," Cloud quipped as he went back to reading. It <em>was</em> true, to some extent...</p><p>"Guys!" a recruit with his head shaved bald burst into the barracks holding a wooden plank. "Check this out!" He positioned the plank between two beds and then brought his fist down, snapping it in two.</p><p>"Plenty of people can do martial arts, man," the recruit who had been teasing Cloud scoffed, "Anyone with a green belt can do that."</p><p>Cloud tried not to smirk, knowing Tifa would have rolled her eyes at talk of belt rankings. Zangan was completely opposed to the typical martial arts dojos, preferring to train his students in their natural surroundings, be it the mountains, or the slums of Midgar.</p><p>"I never took a day of martial arts in my life," the bald recruit declared, "I was a football player. Oh!" His face lit up. "Come outside, guys- I wanna try something else!"</p><p>He motioned for everyone to follow him. Wearily, Cloud got up and put his comic down, leaving the large tent.</p><p>"Like I said…" the bald recruit went on as he approached the trunk of a dead tree nearby, "I played football. Let's see what these fancy new pauldrons are made of…"</p><p>He then charged at the trunk, crashing into it with full-force and knocking it down completely.</p><p>Pandemonium erupted.</p><p>"That was <em>awesome,</em> man!"</p><p>"I wanna try something too!"</p><p>"Oh, look!" a recruit with a mohawk exclaimed as he walked over to a large moss-covered boulder. Getting behind it, he effortlessly pushed it over, watching gleefully as several bugs scattered away from where they had been hiding under the rock.</p><p>"Hey, if you played football…" another recruit holding a large football-sized rock said as he stood ten feet away from the bald recruit, "Then catch!"</p><p>He effortlessly threw the likely 20-pound rock over to the bald recruit, who caught it with just as little effort.</p><p>"We should start a game!" the bald recruit laughed.</p><p>"Wait, let <em>me</em> try knocking over a tree!" yet another recruit shouted. He charged at a living tree, crashing into it with similar results. Because the tree wasn't dead and the trunk not dry, he only partially severed the trunk, leaving a half-fallen tree.</p><p>Cloud frowned. "Hey, wait a minute…!" he started to say.</p><p>"Deeper into the forest!" the bald recruit shouted. He and half the squad bolted into the woods, while Cloud remained where he was, unsure of what to do.</p><p>"What the hell are they doing?" Zack asked as he approached Cloud, a skeptical look on his face.</p><p>"Showing off their new 'superpowers', I guess," Cloud answered resignedly.</p><p>"More like tearing down the whole forest from the sound of it!" Zack was now getting angry. "Why didn't you try and stop them?"</p><p>"There's ten of them!" Cloud explained.</p><p>Zack waited expectantly.</p><p>"…Sir," Cloud finished sheepishly.</p><p>"Part of being a good SOLDIER is leadership, Strife," Zack said as he reached into his cargo pocket and pulled out an airhorn. "You can't let being outnumbered scare you into going along with the crowd or you're gonna have serious problems!"</p><p>With that, Zack charged into the forest. Cloud shook his head and looked at his feet, pondering what his friend had just told him.</p><hr/><p>"Reidmar? Are you all right?"</p><p>Reidmar Dalamud looked up from the steps he sat on. His heavily pregnant wife Medea stepped out onto the porch and approached him, a concerned look on her face.</p><p>"Yeah, babe…" Reidmar said, smiling thinly as he placed his hand on her stomach.</p><p>As if on cue, he could feel a kick, as if his unborn child was telling him to get off. That managed to widen his smile somewhat.</p><p>"You lie," Medea teased as she slowly eased herself onto the steps next to him. "What is it? Has the Planet 'deigned' to give you any information on how it's doing?"</p><p>"The Planet is fine…" Reidmar said, shaking his head. "It's our baby that I'm worried about."</p><p>"The doctor said she'll be just fine," Medea reassured him.</p><p>"It's not medical issues I'm concerned with," Reidmar told her, "It's the Planet. While it's rather taciturn with me, I can sense its anticipation of the first baby with Cetra blood born in…eighteen years? And with Aeris gone and Ifalna Gast unable and likely unwilling to return…I think the Planet has taken a vested interest in our child."</p><p>"Well, that's natural," Medea replied, "The Planet will know our child from day one. It should stand to reason it would be excited, for lack of a better word."</p><p>"So that it can make our daughter its new minion if anything ever were to go wrong?" Reidmar asked bitterly.</p><p>Medea looked somewhat taken aback at her normally cheerful husband's sullen attitude. Still, she said nothing, allowing him to vent.</p><p>"Aeris was infected with <em>Id's Death!</em>" Reidmar went on angrily, "The same disease that wiped out all of its children, and yet it <em>still</em> put that poor girl through the wringer! Yes, she summoned the Lifestream and saved us all from Meteor, but she <em>died!</em> And the odds of them being able to bring her back are not good. Look, the fact is…the Planet <em>killed</em> its last living child! I could have summoned the Lifestream with its guidance, but it chose not to trust me. It still doesn't quite trust me…and to be perfectly honest with you, I don't know if <em>I</em> trust <em>it!</em>"</p><p>Medea looked at him as she brushed a strand of golden hair out of his face. "And how long have you been feeling this way?" she asked softly.</p><p>"Weeks…" Reidmar admitted, "I…didn't want to trouble you."</p><p>"As if you could ever keep such a heavy burden a secret from your own wife," Medea chided him.</p><p>"I just…if there were a way off this world, I would leave as soon as possible," Reidmar admitted, "I know tensions are high with the end of Mako power. If a war broke out, the balance that the Lifestream so desperately needs might be upset, and- "</p><p>"-And you think it'll use a baby to save the world…?" Medea asked skeptically. "I know the Planet has trust issues with strangers, but I'd like to believe that in a pinch like that, it'll ask for your services over that of an infant. I may not be a Cetra but being married to you for the past nine years has made me somewhat knowledgeable of how the symbiotic relationship between Cetra and the worlds they cultivate works."</p><p>"I hope you're right," Reidmar said, remembering when Aeris' system had finally had enough and had shut down completely. How utterly devastated Sephiroth had been. How Vincent had just vanished before they could even board the Highwind and return to their homes. How Reidmar had comforted Jessie and Zack on the airship, telling them that to return to the Planet was the greatest reward for a life well-lived. And how Aeris had lived her own life <em>very</em> well by summoning the Lifestream to destroy Meteor; that if she couldn't be revived, then she was at peace now, having found her Promised Land.</p><p>It had comforted her friends somewhat, but Reidmar knew it would be of zero comfort to him if his own daughter were ripped away from him in that same manner.</p><p>"The odds of anyone coming to get us aren't that great," Medea gently reminded her husband, "All they need is for Sephiroth to tell them that we're alive and well, and they'll dismiss us as a casualty, and wish us well in our new lives here. And at least we <em>have</em> that chance to start over."</p><p>Reidmar heaved a sigh. "I know…"</p><p>"And besides, if you're so worried about our daughter being the last living vessel of the Planet's wisdom…" Medea went on, a sly expression now appearing on her face, "…then perhaps we should make sure that doesn't happen."</p><p>Reidmar raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"I suppose we'll just have to have lots and lots of children," Medea went on as she shrugged her shoulders, "I mean, perhaps a whole house full of them. At least it won't leave us any time to sit on the steps and fret, will it?"</p><p>That finally got a chuckle out of Reidmar.</p><p>"Good thing Seraph women's bodies heal immediately after childbirth," Medea said slyly, "No pesky 'six-week' rule that human women have to deal with after <em>they</em> give birth…"</p><p>"Well, then maybe we should 'practice' for the next one," Reidmar suggested as he stood up.</p><p>"Indeed, we should," Medea agreed. Then she held out her arms. "But a little help getting up off the steps, if you would please…"</p><p>Reidmar laughed as he pulled his wife up to her feet. "Damn, woman! You sure you're not carrying twins?"</p><p>"I'm going to let that slide for now, but afterwards, you'd better watch your back."</p><p>"C'mon, babe, let's go inside…"</p><hr/><p>Zack Fair did not look happy as he stood before Squad D early the next morning.</p><p>"I'm sure I don't need to tell you why I chose to wake you oglops up an hour before First Call!" he shouted as he stood under a single lamp post, illuminating his uncharacteristically irritated face. "I understand the need to test out your new strength. I did it myself when I was in your shoes. It's like taking a dump- everybody does it. What I have a problem with is you morons deciding to tear up the forest in the process. Shinra is trying to embark on a new era that will ultimately lead to a better and healthy planet. What most of you guys did last night was the complete <em>opposite</em> of what President Rufus Shinra is trying to accomplish! SOLDIERs are supposed to do many things; setting an example being the <em>least</em> of them!</p><p>"And for those of you who are likely thinking: 'Well I didn't take part in any of that! I was in the barracks being a good little boy! Why am I being punished with these guys?'. Well, I've got two reasons for you. The first being that you're a <em>team!</em> The mistakes of a few, or even one, can get an entire platoon killed. One guy screws up, you're all screwed. The second reason is: if you had the good sense to know it was stupid, why didn't anybody step in and say something? Mob rule is <em>not</em> the way SOLDIER is to be run! Not only that, but SOLDIER is made up of men who are meant to <em>lead!</em> That was not good leadership on your part!"</p><p>Cloud winced underneath his SOLDIER helmet. He had known Zack was right when he had personally rebuked him before running into the forest to stop everybody. Hearing it again, but with more detail, was like salt on his wounded pride.</p><p>"I've decided that since you all wanna be little show-offs with your new strength, we'll try a special drill today!" Zack shouted as he stood next to an enormous pile of logs. "Since some of you think it's just fine and dandy to be messing up the woods throwing rocks around and with all your other shenanigans, we'll try to channel that into something <em>useful!</em> Sound good to you boys?"</p><p>"SIR, YES, SIR!" the recruits all shouted.</p><p>"Good!" Zack looked over at the logs and patted the top one. "You see, we need firewood. As you can see, we have plenty, but we don't have kindling. Normally someone would drive all the way to Junon and buy some, but what for? Since you guys are all so damned big and strong, I say you can make the kindling yourself! And…" he paused for dramatic effect, "…you are going to make the kindling with your big, strong, <em>bare</em> hands!"</p><p>Cloud grimaced. Just like boot camp when he had joined the infantry: if even one recruit misbehaved, it meant ALL of the recruits were punished. He knew SOLDIER would be no different; the military was still the military no matter what rank you were.</p><p>Zack grabbed a log and instantly began tearing into it with his own hands, albeit gloved. "Not so hard, is it, gentlemen?" he shouted.</p><p>"SIR, NO, SIR!" the recruits shouted back.</p><p>Zack continued to manually shred the log until it was nothing but a pile of splinters and shavings. He then looked back up at the recruits. "But I did say bare hands! So you are all to take <em>off</em> your gloves right now!"</p><p>Quietly and without hesitation, the young men all removed their gloves, dropping them on the ground in front of them.</p><p>"Did I say you could drop them on the ground?!" Zack shouted.</p><p>"SIR, NO, SIR!" Cloud and the recruits shouted.</p><p>"Are you a bunch of litterbugs?!" Zack shouted.</p><p>"SIR, NO, SIR!"</p><p>"Do you not have cargo pockets?!"</p><p>At this, many of the recruits jumbled their answers, between "sir, yes, sir" and "sir, no, sir". Zack managed to fight the urge to smirk in amusement.</p><p>"Pick up your gloves, open up your cargo pockets, and shove them in there!"</p><p>"SIR, YES, SIR!" the recruits shouted as they quickly obeyed.</p><p>"Line up, proceed to take one log off the pile, and fall back in!" Zack ordered everyone. He pointed at the recruit standing on the far left of the first row. "You first. Move!"</p><p>Cloud waited until it was his turn before walking up to the pile and taking his log. He quickly fell back into formation, waiting until everyone was done.</p><p>"Begin shredding! Go!"</p><p>Cloud immediately dug his nails into the bark of the log, effortlessly peeling it until the entire log was bare. Dropping the bark, he then tore into the rest of the log, ripping it into several large pieces before picking up each piece and breaking them down, one by one.</p><p><em>Just another day, I suppose…</em>Cloud thought.</p><hr/><p>"I was afraid this might happen…" Zangan chuckled as he and Tifa sat in the corner of a gym in Sector Two.</p><p>Tifa's hair was up in a large bun and a large sweat stain covered the front of her training shirt. She sat on a bench drinking from a water bottle, desperately trying to regain the water she had lost while working up her heavy sweat. The sounds of a basketball game on the other side of the gym reverberated all throughout the large area.</p><p>"Your heart's not in it today, Miss Lockheart," Zangan gently chided her, "Now I've taught many, many kids over the years, and I've pretty much encountered every teenage problem that can interfere with training. This isn't the first time that young love was one of the issues…"</p><p>Tifa put the now-empty bottle down, taking a deep breath. "Sorry, Master Zangan…" she panted before reaching for a towel. She began wiping her face and her arms, trying to dry herself off.</p><p>"Now, now…" Zangan patted his student on the shoulder, "We all have our off days when we train…so long as those off days don't happen if there's an actual life-or-death fight. Now most of my students go on to lead fairly mundane lives: coal miners, engineers, librarians, teachers…but hopefully they've managed to channel some of what I've taught them into their lives. Something tells me your path in life will require a more direct application of my teachings. I know you turned down an offer to join the Turks…for now."</p><p>"My head's all over the place even without my boyfriend being gone," Tifa said, shaking her head ruefully. "My whole life's been turned upside-down. Even though Nibelheim's being rebuilt, it's never going to be the same. Even my house was destroyed, and eventually some other house or building will be standing in its place. My friends and family are gone, and Cloud's all I have left of that."</p><p>"Oh? Just Cloud…?" Zangan pretended to look hurt.</p><p>Tifa couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, I didn't mean…! You know you're very important to me as well."</p><p>"Yes, yes…" Zangan chuckled as he clapped a hand on her back, "And I'm flattered. But part of losing something dear to you is learning how to make new memories. Once you do get your head together, what then? You can't expect to wash dishes at that bar &amp; grill forever."</p><p>"Well, the boss said I could work my way up to food prep if I keep doing a good job," Tifa mused, "Then maybe line cook, or even bartender when I'm old enough."</p><p>"You're meant for better things than that," Zangan said as he stood up from the bench and stepped in front of her. "I know all about your heroics, what with WEAPON, and then facing that monster in the Northern Crater, and standing your ground even after seeing Cloud get hurt. Not many people your age have that strength, Tifa."</p><p>"So, what should I do?" Tifa asked, looking up at her teacher.</p><p>"That's for you to decide," Zangan replied, "Only you have that answer…"</p><hr/><p>"Do you really think someone's going to assassinate me or something?" Jessie griped as she walked down the streets of Sector Two.</p><p>The auburn-haired female Turk walking next to her shrugged. "Not necessarily," she said, "A kidnapping scenario is just as likely."</p><p>"Oh, you're just a barrel of laughs, Cissnei…" Jessie said, rolling her eyes.</p><p>"It's been a month since the president assigned us to keep you safe," Cissnei said while keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. "Is it getting to you already?"</p><p>"I…" Jessie trailed off before letting out a sigh. "Don't get me wrong. It's worth it. I never thought I'd be happy with a guy like Rufus, but I am…when he's got the time to hang out. And I understand he's crazy busy with…well, everything. I'm also aware that there's no way we could have kept seeing each other without everyone finding out eventually, but…ah, whatever. I've no right to complain. This is the price for dating someone so high-profile. I can't expect to have my cake and eat it too."</p><p>"At least you live in a secure residence now," Cissnei reminded her.</p><p>Jessie nodded. As much as she actually enjoyed living in one of the Shinra HQ's smaller penthouses, one of the reasons she had stopped living with Biggs and Wedge was for their own safety. Angry letters and death threats had begun arriving at the house; some by mail, some seemingly delivered by hand. Since she had moved out, the death threats had stopped arriving. The hate mail still came on a semi-regular basis, though. Guilt by association was still a problem for many of the friends who still spoke to Jessie.</p><p>"Sorry for rambling," Jessie said sheepishly.</p><p>Cissnei smirked. "Hey, it beats listening to Reno on a drunken rant. Some advice: try to avoid him when he's off-duty. He's a good Turk, but he's pretty much a high-functioning alcoholic."</p><p>"Oh, I know," Jessie recalled, "He got Zack drunk when we stayed up at Icicle Inn. Zack was all loud and emotional, but mostly because Reno kept egging him on."</p><p>"That's Reno for you," Cissnei stated.</p><p>Jessie nodded in agreement.</p><p>"Hey!" Tifa came out of the gym and jogged over to the two older girls.</p><p>"Hey, kid," Jessie greeted her, "Where's your teacher?"</p><p>Tifa giggled. "He's still inside…he's playing basketball with a bunch of guys in their 20's."</p><p>Jessie burst out laughing, trying to imagine the old man keeping up with a bunch of young men. She knew from having met Zangan that he probably could hold his own with that group. Nothing really surprised her anymore now.</p><p>"You hungry?" Jessie asked.</p><p>"Oh, I'm <em>definitely</em> hungry," Tifa answered, nodding emphatically.</p><p>"Wanna go back to my place and order pizza? We'll see what's streaming tonight. I think they added a bunch of those corny horror movies from 50 years ago."</p><p>"Sounds like a plan," Tifa agreed.</p><p>"Let's go, then." Jessie turned and walked down the road that would take them to the Plate. Tifa and Cissnei followed her.</p><p>They had only been walking for a couple of minutes when Jessie's phone began to buzz. Taking it out, she looked at the notification on the screen. Suddenly her expression became somber.</p><p>Tifa noticed the look on her friend's face. "What's the matter?"</p><p>Jessie closed her eyes and let out a sigh, shoving the phone back in her pocket. "I have this app that reminds me when my friends and family's birthdays are…I'd forgotten, which is obviously why I have this app…but…"</p><p>"Was it someone from your family?" Tifa asked gently. She knew that Jessie and her family were no longer on speaking terms, save for Biggs.</p><p>Jessie shook her head. "No…" she said, "…Aeris."</p><p>A pained look came over Tifa's face as well. "Oh." She turned to Cissnei. "Aeris was a friend of ours who…"</p><p>"I know," Cissnei said, "Reno told me about her. He called her 'surprisingly badass'. I'm sorry for your loss."</p><p>"It came up when we were talking about star signs," Jessie explained, "She said she was born February 7th, which makes…made…her an Aquarius."</p><p>"Medea said there was a chance the hospital might be able to bring her back," Tifa said hopefully.</p><p>"Yeah, a whopping five percent chance!" Jessie scoffed, "If she pulled through, then why hasn't she or Sephiroth come back?"</p><p>"Medea also said that it's very unlikely they could get back easily through normal means like spaceships," Tifa explained, "She told me a lot of things about her home planet, and about the Cetran Galactic Capital and all the BS that happens over there. If Aeris survived, it could still be a long time before they could come back."</p><p>Jessie said nothing. She wasn't holding out hope. Her friend was dead. She didn't want to push that onto Tifa, though. The poor girl had already lost her father in the averted Meteorfall and was still mourning that loss. If hoping that Aeris had somehow survived was keeping her spirits up, then she wouldn't say anything.</p><p>"I miss her too," Tifa said quietly.</p><p>Jessie nodded as the three girls resumed walking. She then began trying to think of what movie would be good to watch tonight, and what to order from Little Checkers Pizza tonight, pushing any lingering negative thoughts out of her head.</p>
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